Massage therapy plays an important role in maintaining spinal health! Vertebrae can become misaligned when the muscles attached to them are not exerting equal force and misaligned vertebrae wreak all sorts of havoc on the body!  Sore, tight, weak and unbalanced muscles effect how every joint in our bodies function, including the vertebrae. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about massage, with the main one being that "it just feels good." Massage is so much more than a "luxury" or a "feel good" treatment. Healthy, well-functioning muscles are crucial in living a productive, pain-free life!  ​Below is a brief summary of some of the benefits of massage therapy: 

• Massage combats the negative effects of stress by triggering the body's relaxation response
• Massage improves the circulation of blood and lymph throughout the body
• Massage relieves muscle aches and stiffness, as well as aids in chronic pain relief
• Massage helps heal damaged tissues and speeds up the recovery process

Massage therapy helps combat many of the problems for which we go to medical doctors. There are countless pieces of literature and research that support massage's benefits for a variety of health concerns.  According to the Mayo Clinic, "Massage is generally considered part of complementary and alternative medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.  Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension."  In fact, we found massage to be so effective in chronic headache treatment that we have designed a special massage specifically for it!  Many studies have found massage may be helpful for: 

• Anxiety and depression
• Digestive disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Sports injuries
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia related to stress
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Temporomandibular (TMJ) joint syndrome 
• Headaches (especially chronic tension headaches)